Self-quenching fluorescence probe

ABSTRACT

An oligonucleotide probe is provided which includes a fluorescent reporter molecule and a quencher molecule capable of quenching the fluorescence of the reporter molecule. The oligonucleotide probe is constructed such that the probe exists in at least one single-stranded conformation when unhybridized where the quencher molecule is near enough to the reporter molecule to quench the fluorescence of the reporter molecule. The oligonucleotide probe also exists in at least one conformation when hybridized to a target polynucleotide where the quencher molecule is not positioned close enough to the reporter molecule to quench the fluorescence of the reporter molecule. By adopting these hybridized and unhybridized conformations, the reporter molecule and quencher molecule on the probe exhibit different fluorescence signal intensities when the probe is hybridized and unhybridized. As a result, it is possible to determine whether the probe is hybridized or unhybridized based on a change in the fluorescence intensity of the reporter molecule, the quencher molecule, or a combination thereof. In addition, because the probe can be designed such that the quencher molecule quenches the reporter molecule when the probe is not hybridized, the probe can be designed such that the reporter molecule exhibits limited fluorescence until the probe is either hybridized or digested.

RELATIONSHIP TO APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/340,558,filed Nov. 16, 1994, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,538,848, which is incorporatedherein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates generally to fluorescent probes which include afluorescent reporter molecule and a fluorescent quencher molecule. Morespecifically, the invention relates to fluorescent probes which includea fluorescent reporter molecule and a fluorescent quencher moleculewhich may be used in hybridization assays and in nucleic acidamplification reactions, especially polymerase chain reactions (PCR).

2. Description of Related Art

Fluorescent reporter molecule - quencher molecule pairs have beenincorporated onto oligonucleotide probes in order to monitor biologicalevents based on the fluorescent reporter molecule and quencher moleculebeing separated or brought within a minimum quenching distance of eachother. For example, probes have been developed where the intensity ofthe reporter molecule fluorescence increases due to the separation ofthe reporter molecule from the quencher molecule. Probes have also beendeveloped which lose their fluorescence because the quencher molecule isbrought into proximity with the reporter molecule. These reporter -quencher molecule pair probes have been used to monitor hybridizationassays and nucleic acid amplification reactions, especially polymerasechain reactions (PCR), by monitoring either the appearance ordisappearance of the fluorescence signal generated by the reportermolecule.

As used herein, a reporter molecule is a molecule capable of generatinga fluorescence signal. A quencher molecule is a molecule capable ofabsorbing the fluorescence energy of an excited reporter molecule,thereby quenching the fluorescence signal that would otherwise bereleased from the excited reporter molecule. In order for a quenchermolecule to quench an excited fluorophore, the quencher molecule must bewithin a minimum quenching distance of the excited reporter molecule atsome time prior to the reporter molecule releasing the storedfluorescence energy.

Probes containing a reporter molecule - quencher molecule pair have beendeveloped for hybridization assays where the probe forms a hairpinstructure, i.e., where the probe hybridizes to itself to form a loopsuch that the quencher molecule is brought into proximity with thereporter molecule in the absence of a complementary nucleic acidsequence to prevent the formation of the hairpin structure. WO 90/03446;European Patent Application No. 0 601 889 A2. When a complementarytarget sequence is present, hybridization of the probe to thecomplementary target sequence disrupts the hairpin structure and causesthe probe to adopt a conformation where the quencher molecule is nolonger close enough to the reporter molecule to quench the reportermolecule. As a result, the probes provide an increased fluorescentsignal when hybridized to a target sequence than when unhybridized.Probes including a hairpin structure have the disadvantage that they canbe difficult to design and may interfere with the hybridization of theprobe to the target sequence.

Assays have also been developed for identifying the presence of ahairpin structure using two separate probes, one containing a reportermolecule and the other a quencher molecule. Mergney, et al., NucleicAcids Research, 22:6 920-928 (1994). In these assays, the fluorescencesignal of the reporter molecule decreases when hybridized to the targetsequence due to the quencher molecule being brought into proximity withthe reporter molecule.

One particularly important application for probes including a reporter -quencher molecule pair is their use in nucleic acid amplificationreactions, such as polymerase chain reactions (PCR), to detect thepresence and amplification of a target nucleic acid sequence. Ingeneral, nucleic acid amplification techniques have opened broad newapproaches to genetic testing and DNA analysis. Arnheim and Erlich, Ann.Rev. Biochem., 61: 131-156 (1992). PCR, in particular, has become aresearch tool of major importance with applications in, for example,cloning, analysis of genetic expression, DNA sequencing, genetic mappingand drug discovery. Arnheim and Erlich, Ann. Rev. Biochem., 61: 131-156(1992); Gilliland et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., 87: 2725-2729 (1990);Bevan et al., PCR Methods and Applications, 1: 222-228 (1992); Green etal., PCR Methods and Applications, 1: 77-90 (1991); Blackwell et al.,Science, 250: 1104-1110 (1990).

The widespread applications of nucleic acid amplification techniques hasdriven the development of instrumentation for carrying out theamplification reactions under a variety of circumstances. Importantdesign goals for such instrument development have included finetemperature control, minimization of sample-to-sample variability inmulti-sample thermal cycling, automation of pre- and post-reactionprocessing steps, high speed temperature cycling, minimization of samplevolumes, real time measurement of amplification products andminimization of cross contamination, for example, due to "samplecarryover". In particular, the design of instruments permittingamplification to be carried out in closed reaction chambers andmonitored in real time would be highly desirable for preventingcross-contamination. Higuchi et al., Biotechnology, 10: 413-417 (1992)and 11: 1026-1030 (1993); and Holland et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci.,88: 7276-7280 (1991). Clearly, the successful realization of such adesign goal would be especially desirable in the analysis of diagnosticsamples, where a high frequency of false positives and false negatives,for example caused by "sample carryover", would severely reduce thevalue of an amplification procedure. Moreover, real time monitoring ofan amplification reaction permits far more accurate quantification ofstarting target DNA concentrations in multiple-target amplifications, asthe relative values of close concentrations can be resolved by takinginto account the history of the relative concentration values during thereaction. Real time monitoring also permits the efficiency of theamplification reaction to be evaluated, which can indicate whetherreaction inhibitors are present in a sample.

Holland et al. (cited above), U.S. Pat. No. 5,210,015 to Gelfand, et al.and others have proposed fluorescence-based approaches to provide realtime measurements of amplification products during PCR. Such approacheshave either employed intercalating dyes (such as ethidium bromide) toindicate the amount of double-stranded DNA present, or they haveemployed probes containing fluorescence-quencher pairs (also referred toas the "Taq-Man" approach) where the probe is cleaved duringamplification to release a fluorescent molecule whose concentration isproportional to the amount of double-stranded DNA present. Duringamplification, the probe is digested by the nuclease activity of apolymerase when hybridized to the target sequence to cause thefluorescent molecule to be separated from the quencher molecule, therebycausing fluorescence from the reporter molecule to appear.

The Taq-Man approach, illustrated in FIG. 1, uses an oligonucleotideprobe containing a reporter molecule - quencher molecule pair thatspecifically anneals to a region of a target polynucleotide"downstream", i.e. in the direction of extension of primer bindingsites. The reporter molecule and quencher molecule are positioned on theprobe sufficiently close to each other such that whenever the reportermolecule is excited, the energy of the excited state nonradiativelytransfers to the quencher molecule where it either dissipatesnonradiatively or is emitted at a different emission frequency than thatof the reporter molecule. During strand extension by a DNA polymerase,the probe anneals to the template where it is digested by the 5'→3'exonuclease activity of the polymerase. As a result of the probe beingdigested, the reporter molecule is effectively separated from thequencher molecule such that the quencher molecule is no longer closeenough to the reporter molecule to quench the reporter molecule'sfluorescence. Thus, as more and more probes are digested duringamplification, the number of reporter molecules in solution increases,thus resulting in an increasing number of unquenched reporter moleculeswhich produce a stronger and stronger fluorescent signal.

Three main factors influence the utility of reporter-quencher moleculepair probes in hybridization and amplification assays. The first factoris the effectiveness of the quencher molecule on the probe to quench thereporter molecule. This first factor, herein designated "RQ⁻ ", can becharacterized by the ratio of the fluorescent emissions of the reportermolecule to the quencher molecule when the probe is not hybridized to acomplementary polynucleotide. That is, RQ⁻ is the ratio of thefluorescent emissions of the reporter molecule to the fluorescence ofthe quencher molecule when the oligonucleotide probe is in asingle-stranded state. Influences on the value of RQ⁻ include, forexample, the particular reporter and quencher molecules used, thespacing between the reporter and quencher molecules, nucleotidesequence-specific effects, and the degree of flexibility of structures,e.g., linkers, to which the reporter and quencher molecules areattached, and the presence of impurities. Wo et al., Anal. Biochem.,218: 1-13 (1994); and Clegg, Meth. Enzymol., 211: 353-388 (1992). Arelated quantity RQ⁺, refers to the ratio of fluorescent emissions ofthe reporter molecule to the quencher molecule when the oligonucleotideprobe is hybridized to a complementary polynucleotide.

A second factor is the efficiency of the probe to hybridize to acomplementary polynucleotide. This second factor depends on the probe'smelting temperature, T_(m), the presence of a secondary structure in theprobe or target polynucleotide, the annealing temperature, and otherreaction conditions.

A third factor is the efficiency with which the DNA polymerase 5'→3'exonuclease activity cleaves the bound probe between the reportermolecule and quencher molecule. This efficiency depends on such factorsas the proximity of the reporter or quencher to the 5' end of the probe,the "bulkiness" of the reporter or quencher, and the degree ofcomplementarity between the probe and target polynucleotide. Lee et al.,Nucleic Acids Research, 21: 3761-3766 (1993).

Since quenching depends on the physical proximity of the reportermolecule to the quencher molecule, it was previously assumed that thequencher and reporter molecules must be attached to the probe such thatthe quencher molecule remains at all times within the maximum distanceat which the quencher molecule can quench the reporter molecule, thisdistance generally being a separation of about 6-16 nucleotides. Lee etal. Nucleic Acids Research, 21: 3761-3766 (1993); Mergny et al., NucleicAcids Research 22: 920-928 (1994); Cardullo et al., Proc. Natl. Acad.Sci., 85: 8790-8794 (1988); Clegg et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., 90:2994-2998 (1993); and Ozaki et al., Nucleic Acids Research, 20:5205-5214 (1992). This short separation between the reporter moleculeand the quencher molecule is typically achieved by attaching one memberof the reporter-quencher pair to the 3' or 5' end of the probe and theother member to an internal base 6-16 nucleotides away.

There are at least two significant disadvantages associated withattaching a reporter or quencher molecule to an internal base. Attachinga reporter or quencher molecule to an internal nucleotide typicallyinvolves more difficult chemistry than the chemistry required to attachthe molecule to a terminal nucleotide. In addition, attachment of areporter or quencher molecule to an internal nucleotide can adverselyaffect the hybridization efficiency of the probe. Ward et al., U.S. Pat.No. 5,328,824; and Ozaki et al. Nucleic Acids Research, 20: 5205-5214(1992).

A need currently exists for effective oligonucleotide probes containinga fluorescent reporter molecule and a quencher molecule for use inhybridization and nucleic acid amplification assays. Accordingly, a needexists for probes which exhibit distinguishable fluorescencecharacteristics when hybridized and not hybridized to a target nucleicacid sequence. A further need exists for probes where the reportermolecule and quencher molecule are positioned on the probe such that thequencher molecule can effectively quench the fluorescence of thereporter molecule. A further need exists for probes which areefficiently synthesized. Yet a further need exists for the reportermolecule and quencher molecule to be positionable on the probe such thatthe reporter and quencher molecules do not adversely impact thehybridization efficiency of probe. These and further objectives areprovided by the probes and methods of the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an oligonucleotide probe which includesa fluorescent reporter molecule and a quencher molecule capable ofquenching the fluorescence of the reporter molecule. According to thepresent invention, the oligonucleotide probe is constructed such thatthe probe exists in at least one single-stranded conformation whenunhybridized where the quencher molecule is near enough to the reportermolecule to quench the fluorescence of the reporter molecule. Theoligonucleotide probe also exists in at least one conformation whenhybridized to a target polynucleotide where the quencher molecule is notpositioned close enough to the reporter molecule to quench thefluorescence of the reporter molecule. By adopting these hybridized andunhybridized conformations, the reporter molecule and quencher moleculeon the probe exhibit different fluorescence signal intensities when theprobe is hybridized and unhybridized. As a result, it is possible todetermine whether the probe is hybridized or unhybridized based on achange in the fluorescence intensity of the reporter molecule, thequencher molecule, or a combination thereof. In addition, because theprobe can be designed such that the quencher molecule quenches thereporter molecule when the probe is not hybridized, the probe can bedesigned such that the reporter molecule exhibits limited fluorescenceuntil the probe is either hybridized or digested.

According to the present invention, the fluorescence intensity of thereporter molecule is preferably greater than the fluorescence intensityof the quencher molecule when the probe is hybridized to the targetpolynucleotide. The fluorescence intensity of the reporter molecule ismore preferably at least about a factor of 3.5 greater than thefluorescence intensity of the quencher molecule when the probe ishybridized to the target polynucleotide.

The fluorescence intensity of the oligonucleotide probe hybridized tothe target polynucleotide is also preferably at least about a factor of6 greater than the fluorescence intensity of the oligonucleotide probewhen not hybridized to the target polynucleotide.

The reporter molecule is preferably separated from the quencher moleculeby at least about 15 nucleotides, more preferably at least about 18nucleotides. The reporter molecule is preferably separated from thequencher molecule by between about 15 and 60 nucleotides, morepreferably between about 18 and 30 nucleotides.

The reporter molecule is preferably attached to either the 3' or 5'terminal nucleotides of the probe. The quencher molecule is alsopreferably attached to either the 3' or 5' terminal nucleotides of theprobe. More preferably, the reporter and quencher molecules are attachedto the 3' and 5' or 5' and 3' terminal nucleotides of the proberespectively.

The reporter molecule is preferably a fluorescein dye and the quenchermolecule is preferably a rhodamine dye.

In one embodiment, the oligonucleotide probe of the present invention isimmobilized on a solid support. The oligonucleotide probe may beattached directly to the solid support, for example by attachment of the3' or 5' terminal nucleotide of the probe to the solid support. Morepreferably, however, the probe is attached to the solid support by alinker. The linker serves to distance the probe from the solid support.The linker is most preferably at least 30 atoms in length, morepreferably at least 50 atoms in length.

A wide variety of linkers are known in the art which may be used toattach the oligonucleotide probe to the solid support. The linker mostpreferably includes a functionalized polyethylene glycol because it doesnot significantly interfere with the hybridization of probe to thetarget oligonucleotide, is commercially available, soluble in bothorganic and aqueous media, easy to functionalize, and completely stableunder oligonucleotide synthesis and post-synthesis conditions.

The linkages between the solid support, the linker and the probe arepreferably not cleaved during removal of base protecting groups underbasic conditions at high temperature. Examples of preferred linkagesinclude carbamate and amide linkages.

The present invention also relates to the use of the oligonucleotideprobe as a hybridization probe to detect target polynucleotides.Accordingly, the present invention relates to a hybridization assay fordetecting the presence of a target polynucleotide in a sample. In oneembodiment of the method, the hybridization probe is immobilized on asolid support.

According to the method, an oligonucleotide probe of the presentinvention is contacted with a sample of polynucleotides under conditionsfavorable for hybridization. The fluorescence signal of the reportermolecule before and after being contacted with the sample is compared.Since the reporter molecule on the probe exhibits a greater fluorescencesignal when hybridized to a target sequence, an increase in thefluorescence signal after the probe is contacted with the sampleindicates the hybridization of the probe to target sequences in thesample, thereby indicating the pressure of target sequences in thesample. Quantification of the change in fluorescence intensity as aresult of the probe being contacted with the sample can be used toquantify the amount of target sequences present in the sample.

The present invention also relates to the use of the oligonucleotideprobe for monitoring nucleic acid amplification. Accordingly, thepresent invention relates to a method for monitoring nucleic acidamplification by performing nucleic acid amplification on a targetsequence using a nucleic acid polymerase having 5'→3' nuclease activity,a primer capable of hybridizing to the target sequence and anoligonucleotide probe according to the present invention which iscapable of hybridizing to the target sequence 3' relative to the primer.According to the method, the nucleic acid polymerase digests theoligonucleotide probe during amplification when it is hybridized to thetarget sequence, thereby separating the reporter molecule from thequencher molecule. As the amplification is conducted, the fluorescenceof the reporter molecule is monitored, the generation of fluorescencecorresponding to the occurrence of nucleic acid amplification.Accordingly, the amount of amplification performed can be quantifiedbased on the change in fluorescence observed. It is noted that thefluorescence of the quencher molecule may also be monitored, eitherseparately or in combination with the reporter molecule, to detectamplification.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 illustrates a method for real-time monitoring nucleic acidamplification utilizing a probe which is degraded by the 5'→3'exonuclease activity of a nucleic acid polymerase.

FIG. 2 illustrates a probe according to the present inventionimmobilized to a solid support in hybridized and unhybridizedconformations.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to an oligonucleotide probe which includesa fluorescent reporter molecule and a quencher molecule capable ofquenching the fluorescence of the reporter molecule. According to thepresent invention, the oligonucleotide probe is constructed such thatthe probe exists in at least one single-stranded conformation whenunhybridized where the quencher molecule is near enough to the reportermolecule to quench the fluorescence of the reporter molecule. Theoligonucleotide probe also exists in at least one conformation whenhybridized to a target polynucleotide such that the quencher molecule isnot positioned close enough to the reporter molecule to quench thefluorescence of the reporter molecule. By adopting these hybridized andunhybridized conformations, the reporter molecule and quencher moleculeon the probe exhibit different fluorescence signal intensities when theprobe is hybridized and unhybridized. As a result, it is possible todetermine whether the probe is hybridized or unhybridized based on achange in the fluorescence intensity of the reporter molecule, thequencher molecule, or a combination thereof. In addition, because theprobe can be designed such that the quencher molecule quenches thereporter molecule when the probe is not hybridized, the probe can bedesigned such that the reporter molecule exhibits limited fluorescenceunless the probe is either hybridized or digested.

According to the present invention, the fluorescence intensity of thereporter molecule is preferably greater than the fluorescence intensityof the quencher molecule when the probe is hybridized to the targetpolynucleotide. The fluorescence intensity of the reporter molecule ismore preferably at least about a factor of 3.5 greater than thefluorescence intensity of the quencher molecule when the probe ishybridized to the target polynucleotide.

The fluorescence intensity of the oligonucleotide probe hybridized tothe target polynucleotide is also preferably at least about a factor of6 greater than the fluorescence intensity of the oligonucleotide probewhen not hybridized to the target polynucleotide.

The reporter molecule is preferably separated from the quencher moleculeby at least about 15 nucleotides, more preferably at least about 18nucleotides. The reporter molecule is preferably separated from thequencher molecule by between about 15 and 60 nucleotides, morepreferably between about 18 and 30 nucleotides.

The reporter molecule is preferably attached to either the 3' or 5'terminal nucleotides of the probe. The quencher molecule is alsopreferably attached to either the 3' or 5' terminal nucleotides of theprobe. More preferably, the reporter and quencher molecules are attachedto the 3' and 5' or 5' and 3' terminal nucleotides of the proberespectively.

The reporter molecule is preferably a fluorescein dye and the quenchermolecule is preferably a rhodamine dye.

In one embodiment, the oligonucleotide probe is attached to a solidsupport. As illustrated in FIG. 2, when the probe is unhybridized, theprobe is able to adopt at least one single-stranded conformation suchthat the quencher molecule is near enough to the reporter molecule toquench the fluorescence of the reporter molecule. As further illustratedin FIG. 2, when the probe is hybridized to a target sequence, the probeadopts at least one conformation where the quencher molecule is notpositioned close enough to the reporter molecule to quench thefluorescence of the reporter molecule. As a result, the fluorescenceintensity of the reporter molecule increases when the probe hybridizesto a target sequence.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, different probes may be attached to the solidsupport and may be used to simultaneously detect different targetsequences in a sample. Reporter molecules having different fluorescencewavelengths can be used on the different probes, thus enablinghybridization to the different probes to be separately detected.

Examples of preferred types of solid supports for immobilization of theoligonucleotide probe include controlled pore glass, glass plates,polystyrene, avidin coated polystyrene beads, cellulose, nylon,acrylamide gel and activated dextran. CPG, glass plates and highcross-linked polystyrene. These solid supports are preferred forhybridization and diagnostic studies because of their chemicalstability, ease of functionalization and well defined surface area.Solid supports such as controlled pore glass (CPG, 500 Å, 1000 Å) andnon-swelling high cross-linked polystyrene (1000 Å) are particularlypreferred in view of their compatibility with oligonucleotide synthesis.

The oligonucleotide probe may be attached to the solid support in avariety of manners. For example, the probe may be attached to the solidsupport by attachment of the 3' or 5' terminal nucleotide of the probeto the solid support. More preferably, however, the probe is attached tothe solid support by a linker which serves to distance the probe fromthe solid support. The linker is most preferably at least 30 atoms inlength, more preferably at least 50 atoms in length.

The length and chemical stability of linker between solid support andthe first 3' unit of oligonucleotides play an important role inefficient synthesis and hybridization of support bound oligonucleotides.The linker arm should be sufficiently long so that a high yield (>97%)can be achieved during automated synthesis. The required length of thelinker will depend on the particular solid support used. For example, asix atom linker is generally sufficient to achieve a >97% yield duringautomated synthesis of oligonucleotides when high cross-linkedpolystyrene is used as the solid support. The linker arm is preferablyat least 20 atoms long in order to attain a high yield (>97%) duringautomated synthesis when CPG is used as the solid support.

Hybridization of a probe immobilized to a solid support generallyrequires that the probe be separated from the solid support by at least30 atoms, more preferably at least 50 atoms. In order to achieve thisseparation, the linker generally includes a spacer positioned betweenthe linker and the 3' nucleoside. For oligonucleotide synthesis, thelinker arm is usually attached to the 3'-OH of the 3' nucleoside by anester linkage which can be cleaved with basic reagents to free theoligonucleotide from the solid support.

A wide variety of linkers are known in the art which may be used toattach the oligonucleotide probe to the solid support. The linker may beformed of any compound which does not significantly interfere with thehybridization of the target sequence to the probe attached to the solidsupport. The linker may be formed of a homopolymeric oligonucleotidewhich can be readily added on to the linker by automated synthesis.Alternatively, polymers such as functionalized polyethylene glycol canbe used as the linker. Such polymers are preferred over homopolymericoligonucleotides because they do not significantly interfere with thehybridization of probe to the target oligonucleotide. Polyethyleneglycol is particularly preferred because it is commercially available,soluble in both organic and aqueous media, easy to functionalize, andcompletely stable under oligonucleotide synthesis and post-synthesisconditions.

The linkages between the solid support, the linker and the probe arepreferably not cleaved during removal of base protecting groups underbasic conditions at high temperature. Examples of preferred linkagesinclude carbamate and amide linkages.

The oligonucleotide probe of the present invention may be used as ahybridization probe to detect target polynucleotides. Accordingly, thepresent invention relates to a hybridization assay for detecting thepresence of a target polynucleotide in a sample. According to themethod, an oligonucleotide probe of the present invention is contactedwith a sample of nucleic acids under conditions favorable forhybridization. The fluorescence signal of the reporter molecule ismeasured before and after being contacted with the sample. Since thereporter molecule on the probe exhibits a greater fluorescence signalwhen hybridized to a target sequence, an increase in the fluorescencesignal after the probe is contacted with the sample indicates thehybridization of the probe to target sequences in the sample and hencethe presence of target sequences in the sample. Further, by quantifyingthe change in fluorescence intensity as a result of the probe beingcontacted with the sample, the amount of target sequences in the samplecan be quantified.

According to one embodiment of the method, the hybridization probe isimmobilized on a solid support. The oligonucleotide probe is contactedwith a sample of nucleic acids under conditions favorable forhybridization. The fluorescence signal of the reporter molecule ismeasured before and after being contacted with the sample. Since thereporter molecule on the probe exhibits a greater fluorescence signalwhen hybridized to a target sequence, an increase in the fluorescencesignal after the probe is contacted with the sample indicates thehybridization of the probe to target sequences in the sample.Immobilization of the hybridization probe to the solid support enablesthe target sequence hybridized to the probe to be readily isolated fromthe sample. In later steps, the isolated target sequence may beseparated from the solid support and processed (e.g., purified,amplified) according to methods well known in the art depending on theparticular needs of the researcher.

The oligonucleotide probe of the present invention may also be used as aprobe for monitoring nucleic acid amplification. Accordingly, thepresent invention relates to a method for monitoring nucleic acidamplification using an oligonucleotide probe according to the presentinvention which is capable of hybridizing to the target sequence 3'relative to an amplification primer. According to the method, nucleicacid amplification is performed on a target polynucleotide using anucleic acid polymerase having 5'→3' nuclease activity, a primer capableof hybridizing to the target polynucleotide, and an oligonucleotideprobe according to the present invention capable of hybridizing to thetarget polynucleotide 3' relative to the primer. During amplification,the nucleic acid polymerase digests the oligonucleotide probe when it ishybridized to the target sequence, thereby separating the reportermolecule from the quencher molecule. As the amplification is conducted,the fluorescence of the reporter molecule is monitored, the generationof fluorescence corresponding to the occurrence of nucleic acidamplification.

Use of a reporter-quencher pair probe generally in conjunction with theamplification of a target polynucleotide, for example, by PCR, e.g., isdescribed in many references, such as Innis et al., editors, PCRProtocols (Academic Press, New York, 1989); Sambrook et al., MolecularCloning, Second Edition (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, New York, 1989),each of which are incorporated herein by reference. The binding site ofthe oligonucleotide probe is located between the PCR primers used toamplify the target polynucleotide. Preferably, PCR is carried out usingTaq DNA polymerase, e.g., Amplitaq™ (Perkin-Elmer, Norwalk, Conn.), oran equivalent thermostable DNA polymerase, and the annealing temperatureof the PCR is about 5°-10° C. below the melting temperature of theoligonucleotide probes employed.

Use of an oligonucleotide probe according to the present invention formonitoring nucleic acid amplification provides several advantages overthe use of prior art reporter-quencher pair probes. For example, priorart probes required that the reporter and quencher molecules bepositioned on the probe such that the quencher molecule remained withina minimum quenching distance of the reporter molecule. However, byrealizing that the probe need only be designed such that the probe beable to adopt a conformation where the quencher molecule is within aminimum quenching distance of the reporter molecule, a far wider arrayof probes are enabled. For example, dually labelled probes having thereporter and quencher molecules at the 5' and 3' ends can be designed.Such probes are far easier to synthesize than probes where the reportermolecule or the quencher molecule is attached to an internal nucleotide.Positioning of the reporter and quencher molecules on terminalnucleotides also enhances the hybridization efficiency of the probes.

As used in this application, the term "oligonucleotide", includes linearoligomers of natural or modified monomers or linkages, includingdeoxyribonucleosides, ribonucleosides, and the like; capable ofspecifically binding a target polynucleotide by way of a regular patternof monomer-to-monomer interactions, such as Watson-Crick type ofbasepairing, or the like. Usually monomers are linked by phosphodiesterbonds or analogs thereof to form oligonucleotides ranging in size from afew monomeric units, e.g., 3-4, to several tens of monomeric units.Whenever an oligonucleotide is represented by a sequence of letters,such as "ATGCCTG", it will be understood that the nucleotides are in5'→3' order from left to right and that "A" denotes deoxyadenosine, "C"denotes deoxycytidine, "G" denotes deoxyguanosine, and "T" denotesthymidine, unless otherwise noted. Analogs of phosphodiester linkagesinclude phosphorothioate, phosphorodithioate, phosphoranilidate,phosphoramidate, and the like. Generally, oligonucleotide probes of theinvention will have a sufficient number of phosphodiester linkagesadjacent to its 5' end so that the 5'→3' exonuclease activity employedcan efficiently degrade the bound probe to separate the reporter andquencher molecules.

"Perfectly matched" in reference to a duplex means that the poly- oroligonucleotide strands making up the duplex form a double-strandedstructure with one other such that every nucleotide in each strandundergoes Watson-Crick basepairing with a nucleotide in the otherstrand. The term also comprehends the pairing of nucleoside analogs,such as deoxyinosine, nucleosides with 2-aminopurine bases, and thelike, that may be employed. Conversely, a "mismatch" in a duplex betweena target polynucleotide and an oligonucleotide probe or primer meansthat a pair of nucleotides in the duplex fails to undergo Watson-Crickbonding.

As used in the application, "nucleoside" includes the naturalnucleosides, including 2'-deoxy and 2'-hydroxyl forms, e.g., asdescribed in Kornberg and Baker, DNA Replication, 2nd Ed. (Freeman, SanFrancisco, 1992). "Analogs" in reference to nucleosides includessynthetic nucleosides having modified base moieties and/or modifiedsugar moieties, e.g., described by Scheit, Nucleotide Analogs (JohnWiley, New York, 1980); Uhlman and Peyman, Chemical Reviews, 90: 543-584(1990), or the like, with the only proviso that they are capable ofspecific hybridization. Such analogs include synthetic nucleosidesdesigned to enhance binding properties, reduce degeneracy, increasespecificity, and the like.

Oligonucleotide probes of the invention can be synthesized by a numberof approaches, e.g., Ozaki et al., Nucleic Acids Research, 20: 5205-5214(1992); Agrawal et al., Nucleic Acids Research, 18: 5419-5423 (1990); orthe like. The oligonucleotide probes of the invention are convenientlysynthesized on an automated DNA synthesizer, e.g., an AppliedBiosystems, Inc. (Foster City, Calif.) model 392 or 394 DNA/RNASynthesizer, using standard chemistries, such as phosphoramiditechemistry, e.g., disclosed in the following references: Beaucage andIyer, Tetrahedron, 48: 2223-2311 (1992); Molko et al., U.S. Pat. No.4,980,460; Koster et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,725,677; Caruthers et al.,U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,415,732; 4,458,066; and 4,973,679; and the like.Alternative chemistries, e.g., resulting in non-natural backbone groups,such as phosphorothioate, phosphoramidate, and the like, may also beemployed provided that the hybridization efficiencies of the resultingoligonucleotides and/or cleavage efficiency of the exonuclease employedare not adversely affected.

Preferably, the oligonucleotide probe is in the range of 15-60nucleotides in length. More preferably, the oligonucleotide probe is inthe range of 18-30 nucleotides in length. The precise sequence andlength of an oligonucleotide probe of the invention depends in part onthe nature of the target polynucleotide to which it binds. The bindinglocation and length may be varied to achieve appropriate annealing andmelting properties for a particular embodiment. Guidance for making suchdesign choices can be found in many of the above-cited referencesdescribing the "Taq-man" type of assays.

Preferably, the 3' terminal nucleotide of the oligonucleotide probe isblocked or rendered incapable of extension by a nucleic acid polymerase.Such blocking is conveniently carried out by the attachment of areporter or quencher molecule to the terminal 3' carbon of theoligonucleotide probe by a linking moiety.

Preferably, reporter molecules are fluorescent organic dyes derivatizedfor attachment to the terminal 3' carbon or terminal 5' carbon of theprobe via a linking moiety. Preferably, quencher molecules are alsoorganic dyes, which may or may not be fluorescent, depending on theembodiment of the invention. For example, in a preferred embodiment ofthe invention, the quencher molecule is fluorescent. Generally whetherthe quencher molecule is fluorescent or simply releases the transferredenergy from the reporter by non-radiative decay, the absorption band ofthe quencher should substantially overlap the fluorescent emission bandof the reporter molecule. Non-fluorescent quencher molecules that absorbenergy from excited reporter molecules, but which do not release theenergy radiatively, are referred to in the application as chromogenicmolecules.

There is a great deal of practical guidance available in the literaturefor selecting appropriate reporter-quencher pairs for particular probes,as exemplified by the following references: Clegg (cited above); Wu etal. (cited above); Pesce et al., editors, Fluorescence Spectroscopy(Marcel Dekker, New York, 1971); White et al., Fluorescence Analysis: APractical Approach (Marcel Dekker, New York, 1970); and the like. Theliterature also includes references providing exhaustive lists offluorescent and chromogenic molecules and their relevant opticalproperties for choosing reporter-quencher pairs, e.g., Berlman, Handbookof Fluorescence Spectra of Aromatic Molecules, 2nd Edition (AcademicPress, New York, 1971); Griffiths, Colour and Constitution of OrganicMolecules (Academic Press, New York, 1976); Bishop, editor, Indicators(Pergamon Press, Oxford, 1972); Haugland, Handbook of Fluorescent Probesand Research Chemicals (Molecular Probes, Eugene, 1992) Pringsheim,Fluorescence and Phosphorescence (Interscience Publishers, New York,1949); and the like. Further, there is extensive guidance in theliterature for derivatizing reporter and quencher molecules for covalentattachment via common reactive groups that can be added to anoligonucleotide, as exemplified by the following references: Haugland(cited above); Ullman et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,996,345; Khanna et al.,U.S. Pat. No. 4,351,760; and the like.

Exemplary reporter-quencher pairs may be selected from xanthene dyes,including fluoresceins, and rhodamine dyes. Many suitable forms of thesecompounds are widely available commercially with substituents on theirphenyl moieties which can be used as the site for bonding or as thebonding functionality for attachment to an oligonucleotide. Anothergroup of fluorescent compounds are the naphthylamines, having an aminogroup in the alpha or beta position. Included among such naphthylaminocompounds are 1-dimethylaminonaphthyl-5-sulfonate,1-anilino-8-naphthalene sulfonate and 2-p-touidinyl-6-naphthalenesulfonate. Other dyes include 3-phenyl-7-isocyanatocoumarin, acridines,such as 9-isothiocyanatoacridine and acridine orange;N-(p-(2-benzoxazolyl)phenyl)maleimide; benzoxadiazoles, stilbenes,pyrenes, and the like.

Preferably, reporter and quencher molecules are selected fromfluorescein and rhodamine dyes. These dyes and appropriate linkingmethodologies for attachment to oligonucleotides are described in manyreferences, e.g., Khanna et al. (cited above); Marshall, HistochemicalJ., 7:299-303 (1975); Menchen et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,188,934; Menchenet al., European Patent Application 87310256.0; and Bergot et al.,International Application PCT/US90/05565. The latter four documents arehereby incorporated by reference.

There are many linking moieties and methodologies for attaching reporteror quencher molecules to the 5' or 3' termini of oligonucleotides, asexemplified by the following references: Eckstein, editor,Oligonucleotides and Analogues: A Practical Approach (IRL Press, Oxford,1991); Zuckerman et al., Nucleic Acids Research, 15: 5305-5321 (1987)(3' thiol group on oligonucleotide); Sharma et al., Nucleic AcidsResearch, 19: 3019 (1991) (3' sulfhydryl); Giusti et al., PCR Methodsand Applications, 2: 223-227 (1993) and Fung et al., U.S. Pat. No.4,757,141 (5' phosphoamino group via Aminolink™ II available fromApplied Biosystems, Foster City, Calif.) Stabinsky, U.S. Pat. No.4,739,044 (3' aminoalkylphosphoryl group); Agrawal et al., TetrahedronLetters, 31: 1543-1546 (1990) (attachment via phosphoramidate linkages);Sproat et al., Nucleic Acids Research, 15: 4837 (1987) (5' mercaptogroup); Nelson et al., Nucleic Acids Research, 17: 7187-7194 (1989) (3'amino group); and the like.

Preferably, commercially available linking moieties are employed thatcan be attached to an oligonucleotide during synthesis, e.g., availablefrom Clontech Laboratories (Palo Alto, Calif.).

Rhodamine and fluorescein dyes are also conveniently attached to the 5'hydroxyl of an oligonucleotide at the conclusion of solid phasesynthesis by way of dyes derivatized with a phosphoramidite moiety,e.g., Woo et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,231,191; and Hobbs, Jr., U.S. Pat. No.4,997,928.

The following examples set forth probes and methods for using the probesaccording to the present invention. It is understood that the specificprobes, probe constructs and steps of the methods described in theseexamples are not intended to be limiting. Further objectives andadvantages of the present invention other than those set forth abovewill become apparent from the examples which are not intended to limitthe scope of the present invention.

EXAMPLES 1. Synthesis of Oligonucleotide Probes

The following example describes the synthesis of the oligonucleotidesshown in Table 1. Linker arm nucleotide ("LAN") phosphoramidite wasobtained from Glen Research. Standard DNA phosphoramidites,6-carboxyfluorescein ("6-FAM") phosphoramidite,6-carboxytetramethylrhodamine succinimidyl ester ("TAMRA NHS ester"),and Phosphalink™ for attaching a 3' blocking phosphate were obtainedfrom Perkin-Elmer, Applied Biosystems Division. Oligonucleotidesynthesis was performed on a model 394 DNA Synthesizer (AppliedBiosystems). Primer and complement oligonucleotides were purified usingOligo Purification Cartridges (Applied Biosystems). Doubly labeledprobes were synthesized with 6-FAM-labeled phosphoramidite at the 5'end, LAN replacing one of the T's in the oligonucleotide sequence, andPhosphalink™ at the 3' end. Following deprotection and ethanolprecipitation, TAMRA NHS ester was coupled to the LAN-containingoligonucleotide in 250 mM Na-bicarbonate buffer (pH 9.0) at roomtemperature. Unreacted dye was removed by passage over a PD-10 Sephadexcolumn. Finally, the doubly labeled probe was purified by preparativeHPLC using standard protocols. Below, probes are named by designatingthe sequence from Table 1 and the position of the LAN-TAMRA moiety. Forexample, probe A1-7 has sequence of A1 with LAN-TAMRA at nucleosideposition 7 from the 5' end.

                  TABLE 1                                                         ______________________________________                                        Sequences of oligonucleotides                                                 Name Type      Sequence                                                       ______________________________________                                        F119 primer    ACCCACAGGAACTGATCACCACTC                                                       SEQ. ID. No.: 1!                                              R119 primer    ATGTCGCGTTCCGGCTGACGTTCTGC                                                     SEQ. ID. No.: 2 !                                             P2   probe     TCGCATTACTGATCGTTGCCAACCAGTp                                                   SEQ. ID. No.: 3 !                                             P2C  complement                                                                              GTACTGGTTGGCAACGATCAGTAATGCGATG                                                SEQ. ID. No.: 4 !                                             P5   probe     CGGATTTGCTGGTATCTATGACAAGGATp                                                  SEQ. ID. No.: 5 !                                             P5C  complement                                                                              TTCATCCTTGTCATAGATACCAGCAAATCCG                                                SEQ. ID. No.: 6 !                                             AFP  primer    TCACCCACACTGTGCCCATCTACGA                                                      SEQ. ID. No.: 7 !                                             ARP  primer    CAGCGGAACCGCTCATTGCCAATGG                                                      SEQ. ID. No.: 8 !                                             A1   probe     ATGCCCTCCCCCATGCCATCCTGCGTp                                                    SEQ. ID. No.: 9 !                                             A1C  complement                                                                              AGACGCAGGATGGCATGGGGGAGGGCATAC                                                 SEQ. ID. No.: 10 !                                            A3   probe     CGCCCTGGACTTCGAGCAAGAGATp                                                      SEQ. ID. No.: 11 !                                            A3C  complement                                                                              CCATCTCTTGCTCGAAGTCCAGGGCGAC                                                   SEQ. ID. No.: 12 !                                            G1   probe     CAAGCTTCCCGTTCTCAGCCT                                                          SEQ. ID. No.: 13 !                                            G1C  complement                                                                              ACCGTCAAGGCTGAGAACGGGAAGCTTGTC                                                 SEQ. ID. No.: 14 !                                            ______________________________________                                    

                  TABLE 2.                                                        ______________________________________                                         ##STR1##                                                                      ##STR2##                                                                      ##STR3##                                                                      ##STR4##                                                                      ##STR5##                                                                     ______________________________________                                    

                                      TABLE 3.                                    __________________________________________________________________________     ##STR6##                                                                      ##STR7##                                                                      ##STR8##                                                                     __________________________________________________________________________

                                      TABLE 4.                                    __________________________________________________________________________     ##STR9##                                                                      ##STR10##                                                                     ##STR11##                                                                    __________________________________________________________________________

2. Synthesis of Oligonucleotide Probes Attached to a Solid Support

Both high cross-linked polystyrene (1000 Å) and controlled pore glass(CPG) (500 Å) are used as solid support matrices. The functionalizationof a spacer (compound 5) is illustrated in Table 2. The attachment ofthe spacer to polystyrene and CPG supports, and the labelling of thesolid supports with TAMRA dye is shown in Tables 3 and 4 respectively.

Table 2 illustrates a reaction scheme for the synthesis of a spacer,compound 5, which is used to derivatize CPG and polystyrene supports. Asshown in Table 2, N-Fmoc-ε-aminocaproic acid was reacted withDL-homoserine in presence of HOBT/HBTU/DIPEA (Knorr, et al., TetrahedronLett. 1989, 30, 1927) in DMF to give compound 2 in 65% yield. Compound 2was reacted with dimethoxytrityl chloride in presence of DMAP inpyridine to give compound 3 in 72% yield after chromatography. Treatmentof compound 3 with a large excess of PEG-diamine (Buckmann, et al.,Biotech. Appl. Biochem. 1987, 9, 258) in presence of HOBT/HBTU/DIPEA inDMF afforded amine 4 in 60% yield. The amine 4 was then converted tosuccinate 5 by treating amine 4 with succinic anhydride/Et₃ N/DMAP inCH₂ Cl₂ in 90% yield. The succinate 5 was then attached to polystyreneand CPG support as illustrated in Tables 3 and 4 respectively withoutfurther purification.

As illustrated in Tables 3 and 4, succinate 5 was separately reactedwith polystyrene and CPG support in presence of HOBT/HBTU/DIPEA in DMFto provide functionalized support 6 (5 μmol/g loading) andfunctionalized support 8 (15 μmol/g loading) respectively. The Fmocgroup was removed from support bound spacer by treating supports 6 and 8with 20% piperidine in DMF (Fields, et al., J. Peptide Res. 1990, 35,161) to give amine which was reacted with TAMRA NHS ester to give TAMRAlabeled supports 7 and 9 respectively. The polystyrene and CPG supportsshowed a final loading of 4.8 μmol/g and 14 μmol/g respectively bytrityl cation assay.

Double labeled Taqman probe was synthesized using both TAMRA labeledsupports 7 and 9, FastPhoramidites (User Bulletin Number 85, PerkinElmer Corporation 1994) and FAM phosphoramidite (User Bulletin Number78, Perkin Elmer Corporation 1994) in 40 nanomol scale. The supportbound oligonucleotides were deprotected by treating with MeOH:t-BuNH₂:H₂ O (1:1:2) at 65° C. for 3 hours (Woo, et al., U.S. Pat. No.5,231,191). Liquid was removed and the support containing probes werewashed with H₂ O:MeOH (3:1) and MeOH. The support was then dried undervacuum and used in a hybridization assay.

Experimental:

Compound 2: N,N-Diisopropylethylamine (1.1 g, 1.48 mL, 8.52 mmol),1-hydroxybenzotriazol (420 mg, 3.1 mmol) and(2-(1H-benzotriazol-1-yl)-1,1,3,3-tetramethyluronium hexafluorophosphate(1.17 g, 3.1 mmol) were added to a stirred solution ofNfmoc-ε-aminocaproic acid (1 g, 2.84 mmol) in DMF (30 mL) at roomtemperature. After 15 min DL-homoserine (1.35 g, 11.36 mmol) was addedto the reaction mixture. After 3 hours, DMF was removed under reducedpressure. The residue was dissolved in CHCl₃ (100 mL) and washed with 5%aqueous HCl (2×50 mL). The organic layer was dried over MgSO₄ andevaporated to give a thick oil which was trituated with ether to give acolorless solid (840 mg, 65%). The product was left under high vacuumfor 24 hours and used in the next step without further purification.

Compound 3: 4,4'-Dimethoxytrityl chloride (484 mg, 1.43 mmol) and4-dimethyaminopyridine (25 mg, 0.2 mmol) were added to a stirredsolution of compound 2 (500 mg, 1.1 mmol) in pyridine (15 mL) at roomtemperature under nitrogen atmosphere. After 14 hours, pyridine wasremoved and the residue was dissolved in CHCl₃ (70 mL). The organiclayer was extracted with 5% aqueous citric acid (1×50 mL), H₂ O (1×50mL) and saturated brine (1×50 mL). The organic layer was dried overMgSO₄ and evaporated to give a yellow foam. The product was purified bya silica gel column eluting with CHCl₃ -MeOH gradient (0-10% MeOH). Theappropriate fractions were combined and evaporated to give Compound 3 asa colorless foam (600 mg, 72%).

Compound 4: Poly(ethylene glycol) bis(2-aminoethyl ether) (3.16 g, 5.3mmol), N,N-diisopropylethylamine (205 mg, 0.27 mL, 1.59 mmol),1-hydroxybenzotriazol (78 mg, 0.58 mmol) and(2-(1H-benzotriazol-1-yl)-1,1,3,3-tetramethyluonium hexafluorophosphate(220 mg, 0.58 mmol) were added to a stirred solution of compound 3 (400mg, 0.53 mmol) in DMF (10 mL) at room temperature. The reaction mixturewas stirred at room temperature for 3 hours. DMF was removed underreduced pressure and, the residue was dissolved in CHCl₃ (70 mL) andwashed with H₂ O (1×50 mL) and saturated brine (2×50 mL). The organiclayer was dried over MgSO₄ and evaporated to give a thick oil. Compound4 was purified by a silica gel column eluting with a CHCl₃ -MeOHgradient (5-15% MeOH) as a colorless glass (423 mg, 60%).

Compound 5: Succinic anhydride (22 mg, 0.22 mmol), Et₃ N (23 mg, 0.31μL, 0.22 mmol), 4-dimethylaminopyridine (14 mg, 0.11 mmol) were added toa solution of compound 4 (300 mg, 0.22 mmol) in CH₂ Cl₂ (15 mL). Thereaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 3 hours. Thereaction mixture was diluted with CHCl₃ (30 mL) and washed with 5%aqueous citric acid (1×50 mL) and saturated brine (2×50 mL). The organiclayer was dried over MgSO₄ and evaporated to a colorless foam (284 mg,90%) which was used for derivatization of the solid support withoutfurther purification.

Derivatization of Polystyrene support with TAMRA dye: High cross linkedpolystyrene (1000 Å, 10 μmol/g amine loading, 1 g, 10 μmol), was treatedwith compound 5 (17 mg, 12 μmol, 1-hydroxybenzotriazol (1.8 mg, 12μmol), (2-(1H-benzotriazol-1-yl)-1,1,3,3-tetramethyluoniumhexafluorophosphate (4.8 mg, 12 μmol), N,N-diisopropylethylamine (6 μL,30 μmol) in DMF (10 mL) on a wrist action shaker for 4 hours at roomtemperature. The support was washed with DMF (3×10 mL), CH₃ CN (2×10 mL)and CH₂ Cl₂ (1×10 mL) and dried under high vacuum overnight. Theninhydrin assay showed 1 μmol/g amine left. The trityl cation assay gave5 μmol/g loading of compound 5. The support was capped with aceticanhydride/lutidine in THF (10% solution, 5 mL) and 1-methylimidazol inTHF (16% solution, 5 mL) for 2 hours at room temperature. The supportwas washed with CH₃ CN (3×10 mL) and CH₂ Cl₂ (1×10 mL). The support wastreated with 20% piperidine in DMF (3×10 mL) to remove the Fmocprotecting group. The removal of the Fmoc group was monitored bymeasuring UV of the solution at 302 nm. The support was washed with DMF(3×10 mL) and, then treated with TAMRA NHS ester (15 mg, 27 μmol) andEt₃ N (50 μmol) in DMF (10 mL) for 42 hours on a shaker. The support waswashed with DMF (3×10 mL) CH₃ CN (2×10 mL) and CH₂ Cl₂ (1×10 mL) anddried under high vacuum for 24 hours. Ninhydrin test showed less than0.5 μmol/g amine left. The support was capped with aceticanhydride/lutidine in THF (10% solution, 5 mL) and 1-methylimidazol inTHF (16% solution, 5 mL) for 1 hour and then washed with CH₃ CN (3×10mL), CH₂ Cl₂ (2×10 mL) and dried under high vacuum for 24 hour. Thetrityl cation assay showed a final loading of 4.8 μmol/g.

Derivatization of CPG support with TAMRA dye: A mixture of CPG (500 Å,40 μmol/g amine loading, 500 mg, 20 μmol), compound 5 (31 mg, 22 μmol),1-hydroxybenzotriazol (5.9 mg, 22 μmol),(2-(1H-benzotriazol-1-yl)-1,1,3,3-tetramethyluronium hexaflurophosphate(8.4 mg, 22 μmol), N,N-diisopropylethylamine (10.4 μL, 60 μmol) in DMF(10 mL) was shaken on a wrist action shaker for 4 hours at roomtemperature. The support was washed with DMF (3×10 mL), CH₃ CN (2×10 mL)and CH₂ Cl₂ (1×10 mL) and dried under high vacuum overnight. Theninhydrin assay showed 4 μmol/g amine left. The trityl assay gave 15μmol/g loading of compound 5 on CPG support. The support was capped withacetic anhydride/lutidine in THF (10% solution, 5 mL) and1-methylimidazol in THF (16% solution, 5 mL) for 2 hours at roomtemperature. The support was washed with CH₃ CN (3×10 mL) and CH₂ Cl₂(1×10 mL). The support was treated with 20% piperidine in DMF (3×10 mL)to remove the Fmoc protecting group. Removal of the Fmoc group wasmonitored by measuring UV of the solution at 302 nm. The support waswashed with DMF (3×10 mL). The support was then treated with TAMRA NHSester (25 mg, 45 μmol) and Et₃ N (90 μmol) in DMF (5 mL) for 42 hours ona shaker. The support was washed with DMF (3×10 mL), CH₃ CN (2×10 mL)and CH₂ Cl₂ (1×10 mL) and dried under high vacuum for 24 hours.Ninhydrin test showed less than 1 μmol/g amine left. The support wascapped with acetic anhydride/lutidine in THF (10% solution, 5 mL) and1-methylimidazol in THF (16% solution, 5 mL) for 1 hour and then washedwith CH₃ CN (3×10 mL), CH₂ Cl₂ (2×10 mL) and dried under high vacuum for24 hours. The trityl cation assay showed a final loading of 14 μmol/g.

Synthesis of FAM and TAMRA Doubled Labeled Probes: Doubled dye labeledprobes were synthesized by using TAMRA labelled supports 7 and 9, DNAFastPhosphoramidite and FAM amidite in 40 nmol scale. After completionof synthesis, supports containing probes were transferred to 4 mL glassvials and treated with a mixture of MeOH:t-BuNH₂ :H₂ O (1:1:2) at 65° C.for 3 hours. Liquid was removed by a syringe and the support was washedwith H₂ O:MeOH (3:1) and MeOH. The support was dried under vacuum andused in the hybridization assay.

3.Hybridization Assay Using Oligonucleotide Probe

A 295 basepair segment of exon 3 of human beta-actin gene (nucleotides2141-2435 as disclosed in Nakajima-Iijima, S., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci.USA 82: 6133-6137 (1985) can be amplified using 50 ul reactions thatcontain 10 mM Tris-HCl (pH 8.3), 50 mM KCl, 4 mM MgCl₂, 300 nM primerAFP SEQ. I.D. No. 7!, 300 nM primer biotin-ARP SEQ. I.D. No. 8 withbiotin attached to the 5' end!, 200 μM dATP, 200 μM dCTP, 200 μM dGTP,200 μM TTP, and 1.25 units AmpliTaq (Perkin-Elmer). The reactions areperformed with (+template) or without (no template) 20 ng human genomicDNA.

After thermal cycling at 50° C. (2 min); 95° C. (10 min); and 40 cyclesof 95° C. (20 sec) followed by 60° C. (1 min), each sample is diluted byadding 200 μl Hybridization Buffer (5× SSC, 8% (v/v) formamide, 8% (v/v)Triton X-100). The resulting samples are transferred to astreptavidin-coated 96-well microtiter plate (Xenopore Corp., SaddleBrook, N.J.) and incubated at 37° C. for 30 min in order to capture theamplified beta-actin DNA segment. Each well is then washed with 350 μlphosphate buffered saline/0.05% TWEEN-20. Any unbiotinylated DNA strandsare removed by adding 100 μl 0.1M NaOH/1 mM EDTA, incubating at roomtemperature for 5 min, and washing with 350 ul phosphate bufferedsaline/0.05% TWEEN-20. 50 ul of Hybridization Buffer containing 100 nMof probe A1-26 SEQ. I.D. No. 9, nucleotides 1-26 (A1-26), labeled withreporter FAM and quencher TAMRA) is then added and incubate at 37° C.for 30 min.

Fluorescence is then measured at 518 nm and 582 nm using a Perkin-ElmerTaqMan LS-50B System. The ΔRQ is then calculated as described in Example5. The magnitude of ΔRQ indicates the level of hybridization of theA1-26 probe and thus is a measure of the amount of amplified beta-actinDNA segment captured in each well.

4. Hybridization Assay Using Oligonucleotide Probe Attached to SolidSupport

Three probe/solid support combinations were examined: A1-PS: A1 SEQ.I.D. No. 9! attached to polystyrene support; A1-CPG: A1 SEQ. I.D. No. 9!attached to glass support; and G1-PS: G1 SEQ. I.D. No. 13! attached topolystyrene support.

All three probes have FAM attached to the 5' end of the sequence andTAMRA attached to the 3' end. No template reactions were prepared bysuspending each probe/solid support sample in 50 μl 1× PCR Buffer (10 mMTris-HCl (pH 8.3), 50 mM KCl, 3.5 mM MgCl₂). For plus templatereactions, A1-PS and A1-CPG were suspended in 50 μl 1× PCR Buffer+1 μMA1C; G1-PS was suspended in 50 μl 1× PCR Buffer+1 μM G1C.

Reactions were incubated at 95° C. for 1 min, then allowed to coolslowly to room temperature. A portion of each suspension was placed on amicroscope slide. Each sample was excited with 488 nm light and afluorescence image was captured on a CCD array using either a 518 nm or583 nm interference filter. The images were analyzed by finding a peakpixel value on the 518 nm image and then finding the 583 nm value forthe same pixel. Pixel values were corrected by subtracting thebackground readings observed with buffer. Table 5 gives the results offluorescence measurements of the indicated probes.

                  TABLE 5                                                         ______________________________________                                        518            582                                                                   no              no                                                     PROBE  temp.   +temp.  temp. +temp.                                                                              RQ-  RQ+   ΔRQ                       ______________________________________                                        A1-PS  149     354     253   379   0.42 0.67  0.25                            A1-CPG 494     437     1500  616   1.13 2.44  1.31                            G1-PS   75     166     178   245   0.45 0.73  0.28                            ______________________________________                                    

5. Method for Monitoring PCR Amplification Using Oligonucleotide Probe

All PCR amplifications were performed in a Perkin-Elmer Thermocycler9600 using 50 μl reactions that contained 10 mM Tris-HCl (pH 8.3), 50 mMKCl, 200 μM dATP, 200 μM dCTP, 200 μM dGTP, 400 μM dUTP, 0.5 unitsAmpErase™ uracil N-glycolyase (Perkin-Elmer), and 1.25 units AmpliTaq™(Perkin-Elmer). A 295 basepair segment of exon 3 of human β-actin gene(nucleotides 2141-2435 disclosed by Nakajima-Iijima, S., Proc. Natl.Acad. Sci. USA 82: 6133-6137 (1985) was amplified using the AFP and ARPprimers listed below. The amplification reactions contained 4 mM MgCl₂,20 ng human genomic DNA, 50 nM A1 or A3 probe, and 300 nM of eachprimer. Thermal regimen was 50° C. (2 min); 95° C. (10 min); 40 cyclesof 95° C. (20 sec); 60° C. (1 min); and hold at 72° C. A 515 basepairsegment was amplified from a plasmid that consists of a segment of λ DNA(nucleotides 32, 220-32, 747) inserted into the Sma I site of vectorpUC119. These reactions contained 3.5 mM MgCl₂, 1 ng plasmid DNA, 50nMP2 or P5 probe, 200 nM primer F119, and 200 nM primer R119. Thethermal regimen was 50° C. (2 min); 95° C. (10 min); 25 cycles of 95° C.(20 sec), 57° C. (1 min); and hold at 72° C.

For each amplification reaction, 40 μl was transferred to an individualwell of a white 96-well microtiter plate (Perkin-Elmer). Fluorescencewas measured on a Perkin-Elmer TaqMan™ LS-50B System, which consists ofa luminescence spectrometer with a plate reader assembly, a 485 nmexcitation filter, and a 515 nm emission filter. Excitation was carriedout at 488 nm using a 5 nm slit width. Emission was measured at 518 nmfor 6-FAM (the reporter, or R Valve) and 582 nm for TAMRA (the quencher,or Q value) using a 10 nm slit width. In order to determine the increasein reporter emission that is due to cleavage of the probe during PCR,three normalizations are applied to the raw emission data. First,emission intensity of a buffer blank is subtracted for each wavelength.Second, emission intensity of the reporter is divided by the emissionintensity of the quencher to give an RQ ratio for each reaction tube.This normalizes for well-to-well variation in probe concentration andfluorescence measurement. Finally, ΔRQ is calculated by subtracting theRQ value of the no template control (RQ⁻) from the RQ value for thecomplete reaction including a template (RQ⁺).

Three pairs of probes were tested in PCR assays. For each pair, oneprobe has TAMRA attached to an internal nucleotide and the other hasTAMRA attached to the 3' end nucleotide. Results are shown in Table 6.For all three sets, the probe with the 3' quencher exhibits a ΔRQ valuethat is considerable higher than for the probe with the internalquencher.

                  TABLE 6                                                         ______________________________________                                        518          582                                                                    no             no                                                       PROBE temp.  +temp.  temp.                                                                              +temp.                                                                              RQ-    RQ+  ΔRQ                         ______________________________________                                        A3-6  34.06  50.1    73.78                                                                              70.8  0.5    0.71 0.25                              A3-24 58.85  202     69.66                                                                              78.8  0.8    2.57 1.72                              P2-7  67.58  341     85.78                                                                              87.9  0.8    3.89 3.1                               P2-27 124.6  722     152.6                                                                              118   0.8    6.1  5.28                              P5-10 77.32  156     75.41                                                                              67    1      2.33 1.3                               P5-28 73.23  507     106.6                                                                              96.3  0.7    5.28 4.59                              ______________________________________                                    

                  TABLE 7                                                         ______________________________________                                        Fluorescence In Single And Double-stranded States.                            518             582          RQ                                               Probe  ss      ds       ss    ds     ss   ds                                  ______________________________________                                        P2-7   63.81   84.07    96.52 142.97 0.66 0.59                                P2-27  92.31   557.53   165.13                                                                              89.47  0.56 6.23                                P5-10  266.30  366.37   437.97                                                                              491.00 0.61 0.75                                P5-28  51.91   782.80   141.20                                                                              154.07 0.37 5.08                                A1-7   18.40   60.45    105.53                                                                              218.83 0.17 0.28                                A1-26  87.75   734.37   90.91 118.57 0.97 6.19                                A3-6   44.77   104.80   90.80 177.87 0.49 0.59                                A3-24  45.57   857.57   100.15                                                                              191.43 0.46 3.47                                ______________________________________                                    

Table 7 gives the results of fluorescence measurements of the indicatedprobes in single and double-stranded states. For probes having reporterand quencher at opposite ends of the oligonucleotide, hybridizationcaused a dramatic increase in RQ.

The foregoing description of a preferred embodiment of the invention hasbeen presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is notintended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise formsdisclosed. Obviously, many modifications and variations will be apparentto practitioners skilled in this art. It is intended that the scope ofthe invention be defined by the following claims and their equivalents.

    __________________________________________________________________________    SEQUENCE LISTING                                                              (1) GENERAL INFORMATION:                                                      (iii) NUMBER OF SEQUENCES: 14                                                 (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO: 1:                                             (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                 (A) LENGTH: 24 nucleotides                                                    (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                        (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                      (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                          (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO: 1:                                      ACCCACAGGAACTGATCACCACTC24                                                    (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO: 2:                                             (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                 (A) LENGTH: 26 nucleotides                                                    (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                        (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                      (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                          (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO: 2:                                      ATGTCGCGTTCCGGCTGACGTTCTGC26                                                  (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO: 3:                                             (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                 (A) LENGTH: 27 nucleotides                                                    (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                        (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                      (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                          (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO: 3:                                      TCGCATTACTGATCGTTGCCAACCAGT27                                                 (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:4:                                              (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                 (A) LENGTH: 31 nucleotides                                                    (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                        (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                      (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                          (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO: 4:                                      GTACTGGTTGGCAACGATCAGTAATGCGATG31                                             (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:5:                                              (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                 (A) LENGTH: 28 nucleotides                                                    (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                        (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                      (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                          (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO: 5:                                      CGGATTTGCTGGTATCTATGACAAGGAT28                                                (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:6:                                              (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                 (A) LENGTH: 31 nucleotides                                                    (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                        (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                      (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                          (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO: 6:                                      TTCATCCTTGTCATAGATACCAGCAAATCCG31                                             (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:7:                                              (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                 (A) LENGTH: 25 nucleotides                                                    (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                        (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                      (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                          (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO: 7:                                      TCACCCACACTGTGCCCATCTACGA25                                                   (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:8:                                              (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                 (A) LENGTH: 25 nucleotides                                                    (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                        (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                      (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                          (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO: 8:                                      CAGCGGAACCGCTCATTGCCAATGG25                                                   (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:9:                                              (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                 (A) LENGTH: 26 nucleotides                                                    (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                        (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                      (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                          (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO: 9:                                      ATGCCCTCCCCCATGCCATCCTGCGT26                                                  (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:10:                                             (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                 (A) LENGTH: 30 nucleotides                                                    (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                        (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                      (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                          (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO: 10:                                     AGACGCAGGATGGCATGGGGGAGGGCATAC30                                              (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:11:                                             (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                 (A) LENGTH: 24 nucleotides                                                    (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                        (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                      (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                          (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO: 11:                                     CGCCCTGGACTTCGAGCAAGAGAT24                                                    (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:12:                                             (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                 (A) LENGTH: 28 nucleotides                                                    (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                        (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                      (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                          (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO: 12:                                     CCATCTCTTGCTCGAAGTCCAGGGCGAC28                                                (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:13:                                             (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                 (A) LENGTH: 21 nucleotides                                                    (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                        (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                      (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                          (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO: 13:                                     CAAGCTTCCCGTTCTCAGCCT21                                                       (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:14:                                             (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                 (A) LENGTH: 30 nucleotides                                                    (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                        (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                      (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                          (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO: 14:                                     ACCGTCAAGGCTGAGAACGGGAAGCTTGTC30                                              __________________________________________________________________________

What is claimed is:
 1. An oligonucleotide probe comprising:anoligonucleotide sequence which does not hybridize with itself to form ahairpin structure; a fluorescent reporter molecule attached to saidoligonucleotide sequence; and a quencher molecule capable of quenchingthe fluorescence of said reporter molecule attached to saidoligonucleotide sequence; said oligonucleotide sequence existing in atleast one single-stranded conformation when unhybridized where saidquencher molecule quenches the fluorescence of said reporter molecule,said oligonucleotide sequence existing in at least one conformation whenhybridized to a target polynucleotide where the fluorescence of saidreporter molecule is unquenched, the fluorescence intensity of saidreporter molecule when said oligonucleotide sequence is hybridized tosaid target polynucleotide is at least a factor of 6 greater than thefluorescence intensity of said reporter molecule when saidoligonucleotide sequence is not hybridized to said targetpolynucleotide.
 2. The oligonucleotide probe according to claim 1wherein said reporter molecule is separated from said quencher moleculeby at least 15 nucleotides.
 3. The oligonucleotide probe according toclaim 2 wherein said reporter molecule is separated from said quenchermolecule by between 15 and 60 nucleotides.
 4. The oligonucleotide probeaccording to claim 1 wherein said reporter molecule is separated fromsaid quencher molecule by at least 18 nucleotides.
 5. Theoligonucleotide probe according to claim 4 wherein said reportermolecule is separated from said quencher molecule by between 18 and 30nucleotides.
 6. The oligonucleotide probe according to claim 1 whereinsaid reporter molecule is attached to a 3' terminal nucleotide of saidoligonucleotide sequence.
 7. The oligonucleotide probe according toclaim 6 wherein said quencher molecule is attached to a 5' terminalnucleotide of said oligonucleotide sequence.
 8. The oligonucleotideprobe according to claim 1 wherein said reporter molecule is attached toa 5' terminal nucleotide of said oligonucleotide sequence.
 9. Theoligonucleotide probe according to claim 8 wherein said quenchermolecule is attached to a 3' terminal nucleotide of said oligonucleotidesequence.
 10. The oligonucleotide probe according to claim 1 whereinsaid quencher molecule is attached to a 3' terminal nucleotide of saidoligonucleotide sequence.
 11. The oligonucleotide probe according toclaim 1 wherein said quencher molecule is attached to a 5' terminalnucleotide of said oligonucleotide sequence.
 12. The oligonucleotideprobe according to claim 1 wherein said reporter molecule is afluorescein dye and said quencher molecule is a rhodamine dye.
 13. Theoligonucleotide probe according to claim 1 wherein said quencher isfluorescent and the fluorescence intensity of said reporter molecule isgreater than the fluorescence intensity of said quencher molecule whensaid sequence is hybridized to said target polynucleotide.
 14. Theoligonucleotide probe according to claim 13 wherein the fluorescenceintensity of said reporter molecule is at least a factor of 3.5 greaterthan the fluorescence intensity of said quencher molecule when saidsequence is hybridized to said target polynucleotide.
 15. Anoligonucleotide probe comprising:an oligonucleotide sequence which doesnot hybridize with itself to form a hairpin structure; a fluorescentreporter molecule attached to said oligonucleotide sequence; and afluorescent quencher molecule capable of quenching the fluorescence ofsaid reporter molecule attached to said oligonucleotide sequence; saidoligonucleotide sequence existing in at least one single-strandedconformation when unhybridized where said quencher molecule quenches thefluorescence of said reporter molecule, said oligonucleotide sequenceexisting in at least one conformation when hybridized to a targetpolynucleotide where the fluorescence of said reporter molecule isunquenched, the ratio of the fluorescence intensities of said reportermolecule to said quencher molecule when said probe is hybridized to saidtarget polynucleotide is at least 6 times greater than the ratio of thefluorescence intensities of said reporter molecule to said quenchermolecule when said oligonucleotide sequence is not hybridized to saidtarget polynucleotide.
 16. An oligonucleotide probe comprising:a solidsupport; an oligonucleotide sequence attached to said solid supportwhich does not form a hairpin structure; a fluorescent reporter moleculeattached to said oligonucleotide sequence; and a quencher moleculecapable of quenching the fluorescence of said reporter molecule attachedto said oligonucleotide sequence; said oligonucleotide sequence existingin at least one single-stranded conformation when unhybridized wheresaid quencher molecule quenches the fluorescence of said reportermolecule, said oligonucleotide sequence existing in at least oneconformation when hybridized to a target polynucleotide where thefluorescence of said reporter molecule is unquenched, the fluorescenceintensity of said reporter molecule when said oligonucleotide sequenceis hybridized to said target polynucleotide is at least 6 times greaterthan the fluorescence intensity of said reporter molecule when saidoligonucleotide sequence is not hybridized to said targetpolynucleotide.
 17. The probe according to claim 16 wherein saidoligonucleotide sequence is attached to said solid support by a linker.18. The probe according to claim 17 wherein said linker separates saidoligonucleotide sequence from said solid support by at least 30 atoms.19. The probe according to claim 18 wherein said linker separates saidoligonucleotide sequence from said solid support by at least 50 atoms.20. The probe according to claim 17 wherein the linker is afunctionalized polyethylene glycol.
 21. The probe according to claim 20wherein the linker is a polynucleotide.
 22. The probe according to claim17 wherein said linker includes a detachable linkage enabling saidoligonucleotide sequence to be released from said solid support.
 23. Theprobe according to claim 16 wherein said quencher is fluorescent and thefluorescence intensity of said reporter molecule is greater than thefluorescence intensity of said quencher molecule when said sequence ishybridized to said target polynucleotide.
 24. The probe according toclaim 23 wherein the fluorescence intensity of said reporter molecule isat least a factor of 3.5 greater than the fluorescence intensity of saidquencher molecule when said sequence is hybridized to said targetpolynucleotide.
 25. An oligonucleotide probe comprising:a solid support;an oligonucleotide sequence attached to said solid support which doesnot form a hairpin structure; a fluorescent reporter molecule attachedto said oligonucleotide sequence; and a fluorescent quencher moleculecapable of quenching the fluorescence of said reporter molecule attachedto said oligonucleotide sequence; said oligonucleotide probe existing inat least one single-stranded conformation when unhybridized where saidquencher molecule quenches the fluorescence of said reporter molecule,said oligonucleotide probe existing in at least one conformation whenhybridized to a target polynucleotide where the fluorescence of saidreporter molecule is unquenched, the ratio of the fluorescenceintensities of said reporter molecule to said quencher molecule whensaid probe is hybridized to said target polynucleotide is at least 6times greater than the ratio of the fluorescence intensities of saidreporter molecule to said quencher molecule when said oligonucleotidesequence is not hybridized to said target polynucleotide.
 26. Anoligonucleotide probe comprising:an oligonucleotide sequence which doesnot hybridize with itself to form a hairpin structure; a fluorescentreporter molecule attached to said oligonucleotide sequence; and aquencher molecule capable of quenching the fluorescence of said reportermolecule attached to said oligonucleotide sequence such that saidquencher molecule is separated from said reporter molecule by at least15 nucleotides; said oligonucleotide sequence existing in at least onesingle-stranded conformation when unhybridized where said quenchermolecule quenches the fluorescence of said reporter molecule, saidoligonucleotide sequence existing in at least one conformation whenhybridized to a target polynucleotide where the fluorescence of saidreporter molecule is unquenched, the fluorescence intensity of saidreporter molecule when said oligonucleotide sequence is hybridized tosaid target polynucleotide is greater than the fluorescence intensity ofsaid reporter molecule when said oligonucleotide sequence is nothybridized to said target polynucleotide.
 27. The oligonucleotide probeaccording to claim 26 wherein said reporter molecule is separated fromsaid quencher molecule by at least 18 nucleotides.
 28. Theoligonucleotide probe according to claim 26 wherein said reportermolecule is separated from said quencher molecule by between 15 and 60nucleotides.
 29. The oligonucleotide probe according to claim 26 whereinsaid reporter molecule is separated from said quencher molecule bybetween 18 and 60 nucleotides.
 30. The oligonucleotide probe accordingto claim 26 wherein said reporter molecule is separated from saidquencher molecule by between 18 and 30 nucleotides.
 31. A probecomprising:a solid support; an oligonucleotide sequence attached to saidsolid support which does not hybridize with itself to form a hairpinstructure; a fluorescent reporter molecule attached to saidoligonucleotide sequence; and a quencher molecule capable of quenchingthe fluorescence of said reporter molecule attached to saidoligonucleotide sequence such that said quencher molecule is separatedfrom said reporter molecule by at least 15 nucleotides; saidoligonucleotide sequence existing in at least one single-strandedconformation when unhybridized where said quencher molecule quenches thefluorescence of said reporter molecule, said oligonucleotide sequenceexisting in at least one conformation when hybridized to a targetpolynucleotide where the fluorescence of said reporter molecule isunquenched, the fluorescence intensity of said reporter molecule whensaid oligonucleotide sequence is hybridized to said targetpolynucleotide is greater than the fluorescence intensity of saidreporter molecule when said oligonucleotide sequence is not hybridizedto said target polynucleotide.
 32. The probe according to claim 31wherein said reporter molecule is separated from said quencher moleculeby at least 18 nucleotides.
 33. The probe according to claim 31 whereinsaid reporter molecule is separated from said quencher molecule bybetween 15 and 60 nucleotides.
 34. The probe according to claim 31wherein said reporter molecule is separated from said quencher moleculeby between 18 and 60 nucleotides.
 35. The probe according to claim 31wherein said reporter molecule is separated from said quencher moleculeby between 18 and 30 nucleotides.
 36. The probe according to claim 31wherein the sequence is attached to said solid support by a linker. 37.The probe according to claim 36 wherein said linker separates saidoligonucleotide sequence from said solid support by at least 30 atoms.38. The probe according to claim 36 wherein said linker separates saidoligonucleotide sequence from said solid support by at least 50 atoms.39. The probe according to claim 36 wherein said linker is afunctionalized polyethylene glycol.
 40. The probe according to claim 39wherein said linker is a polynucleotide.
 41. The probe according toclaim 36 wherein said linker includes a detachable linkage enabling saidoligonucleotide sequence to be released from said solid support.